Afghan women’s cycling film seeks Kickstarter backing

“Afghan Cycles”, a film about the challenges facing women wishing to cycle in Afghanistan, has so far raised $10,000 of the $50,000 required to succeed on Kickstarter.com.

The feature documentary follows a diverse and growing group of women in Afghanistan risking their honour and their lives for the joy and liberation of riding bicycles. From rural cycling clubs to a National Cycling Team, these women
are ushering in a new era for a country slowly awakening to global influence and inevitable cultural change.

Afghan women are breaking deepseated gender taboos by learning how to ride, asserting that they deserve the same rights as their male counterparts and normalising the visibility of women in Afghan society.

“Giving bikes to young women gives them independent mobility, which is what makes it so controversial,” says Shannon Galpin, National Geographic Adventurer and founder of Mountain2Mountain, which supports the Afghan National Women’s Cycling Team.

“You’re giving them freedom. That’s why a bicycle is so powerful, not just in this region, but around the world.”

The non-profit Mountain2Mountain is a partner of the film, which is a Let Media production and directed by filmmaker Sarah Menzies.